PRINCE ALBERT, SK - A four goal first period powered the Raiders to a 5-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday night in Prince Albert.
The Raiders would get on the board quickly in this hockey game. Just 1:10 into the first period, Justin Maylan scored on a power play to give Prince Albert a 1-0 lead. The Hurricanes got that one back a few minutes later. Jaimen Yakubowski tapped home the puck past Eric Williams after a scramble in front of the P.A. goal to even the score at 1-1. That was Yakubowski's 2nd goal of the season. Prince Albert would blow the game open with three more before the end of the period to take a commanding lead. First, Jonas Knutsen scored to put the Raiders up 2-1. Shortly after that a lucky bounce, when Harrison Ruopp floated the puck toward the Lethbridge goal. It banked off a Hurricanes player in front and by Liston to put the Raiders up 3-1. Then with just over a minute to go, Brandon Herrod took a pass on a two-on-one rush to give P.A. a big 4-1 lead after the first period. Liam Liston was a busy guy in the period as the Canes were out shot 20-13.
In the second, the Hurricanes made a goaltending change with Tanner Kovacs starting off the period. That seemed to spark Lethbridge. The Canes came out gunning, pounding over 20 shots on the Prince Albert goal, but couldn't find the back of the net until late in the period. Brady Ramsey cashed in his 7th goal of the year on the man advantage to cut the Raiders lead in half to 4-2. That's the way the period would end. Unfortunately for Lethbridge, they ran into a hot goalie. The Canes pounded 22 shots on the P.A. goal in the second, which was their biggest shot output in a period this season. Eric Williams had to be and was very good in net. The shots after two periods favoured the Hurricanes 35-32.
In the third, the Hurricanes had a great chance early on a 5-on-3 power play, but were unable to score. The Raiders ended up getting one more in the third period. Justin Maylan scored his second of the night, ripping a wrist shot by Kovacs to give Prince Albert a 5-2 lead. That's the way this game would end. This was a wide-open non-defensive game in P.A. The Raiders out shot Lethbridge 52-49. 101 shots combined between the two hockey teams. Lethbridge went 1/6 on the power play and the Raiders were 1/1. The loss drops the Hurricanes record to 3-14-0-1 on the season as we hit the quarter point. For P.A., it ends a 6 game losing skid. Kovacs was outstanding in his two periods of work for the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes called up one of their top draft picks to play against the Raiders Friday. Ryan Pilon made his regular season debut for Lethbridge. The defenceman was chosen 3rd overall by the Canes back in the 2011 Bantam draft in May. Pilon is a highly-touted young defenceman who the Hurricanes are hoping to see big things from in the years ahead. He just turned 15 year old a few weeks a weeks ago, but standing at 6 foot 2, 195 pounds he's a big force on the ice. He logged a lot of ice time in his first WHL game and looked pretty good on the backend. As for injuries, the Hurricanes played without Johnston, Henry, and Ketlo. Johnston isn't expected back until the middle of next week, but we could see Damien Ketlo this weekend. Adam Henry is out with an upper body injury and Albin Blomqvist has a bout of the flu and missed the game in P.A.
NEXT UP
The Hurricanes will close out this mini-northern Saskatchewan road swing Saturday when they play the Blades in Saskatoon. It'll be the first of four meetings this season between the teams. Going into this game, the Blades are ranked 5th in the Eastern Conference with 10 wins in 17 games. They are a perfect 7-0 on home ice at the Credit Union Centre. The Hurricanes are going to need all hands on deck in the this one. Saskatoon also has a pretty good young Russian goaltender. Andrey Makarov has been playing very well for the Blades this season. Game time is 7:00 pm (MDT). The pre-game show on CJOC at 6:30.
Thanks,
Pat
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Oh yay , may as well start another streak !!! Maybe this one can get to 14 !!
ReplyDeleteThis team is meant to fail , starts with the board and funnels down to the office the coaching staff the terrible scouts the players the trainers the stick boys to the bus driver !!
Time to blow this experiment in losing up and perhaps sell to someone who is hockey oriented , cause the way we are going not one person has a clue what hockey is !!
Love it
cue the negative comments again. I personally think the Canes have some really good young players so I dont think the scouting needs work quite yet. Coaching, sure. But I am realy getting convinced the Lethbridge fans are some of the most fickle fans I have ever seen. When the Canes win, they dont say anything, but when they lose there is a witch hunt and everyone should be shipped out on the spot.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the Canes should look for new fans. Such negativeness doesn't deserve to watch the canes. Maybe the team should move to a city that appreciates them win loose or draw. I feel honoured that Lethbridge has a Junior hockey team win loose or draw.
ReplyDeleteVery well said Caniac1. I as well feel honoured to have a City with a whl team. Enmax renos, new scoreboard, commitment to build the team through the draft. This year will be tough, but the future is bright. Pilon 6f2 190 plus pounds and just turned 15. My prediction is in 2 years we will have multiple nhl draft picks on this team and this team is going to condend. I am going to continue to support as the winning IS going to be that much sweeter!
ReplyDeleteone good thing we will get another top pick (sarcasm)..way to get them motivated and up for the gane coaches..
ReplyDeletecb
I agree that it comes down to the coaches, we do have a lot of talent on the team, obviously they are not being motivated or guided. The board needs to make a change and soon. The Vets are losing heart and it can be seen in their play, and we need them full on!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to agree with those that say it's good to have the Canes in Lethbridge and that those cowards who love to voice their opinions when the team only loses are a joke. They're allowed an opinion, but try to make it an informed one Anonymous 10:55pm. Otherwise, you come off as an idiot.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm going to disagree with Anonymous (5:00pm). I DON'T think this current team has a lot of talent, which is the whole problem for Preston and his coaching staff. Until Merkley, Watson and Erkamps made the team, we didn't have any high Bantam draft picks in the lineup. I think Phil Tot was the highest coming into the year and I think he was a 4th Rounder? (Please correct me if I'm wrong).
However, I DO believe this team will have a LOT of talent in the lineup come next year with Pilon and Duke possibly coming into the mix. I think there are some really good looking prospects here and hopefully that will help the coaching staff. I'm willing to judge the coaches next year when there's a little more to work with.
Keep your head up Hurricanes....losing is a challenge. It won't be the hardest challenge in your life, so try and put it in perspective. Play hard and good things will happen.
The game is being coached out of these kids. Where is the development and motivating for each kid? Each has stregnths that I don't see being capitalized, where is working with that? Someone on this team has to step up and be the change. If you keep doing something that isn't working, CHANGE IT and quit repeating yourself! God, how horrible for these kids, yes they have to try but they are kids and need motivation and to have hockey be fun again. They aren't the adults, it's not fully their responsibility to just get motivated every night the way things have been going. The talent coming into this team isn't being maintained. That tells me they aren't being developed. Coming in with talent isn't enough. I am going to support regardless, but would sure like hockey to be fun again for these kids in the process, otherwise what's the point?
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